Huron

Blueberry

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Bluecrop' and 'Duke'

Summary: The one-year-old shoot of 'Huron' has a shorter internode than the one-year-old shoot of 'Duke'. The intensity of anthocyanin colouration of the flower bud of 'Huron' is absent to weak whereas the intensity is medium for 'Bluecrop' and strong for 'Duke'. Excluding the peduncle, the inflorescence of 'Huron' is shorter than the inflorescence of 'Bluecrop'. The fruit cluster of 'Huron' is dense whereas the fruit cluster is of medium density for the reference varieties. The intensity of green colour of the unripe fruit of 'Huron' is light whereas the intensity of green colour of the unripe fruit of the reference varieties is medium. The sepals of the fruit of 'Huron' are incurved to straight whereas the sepals of the fruit of 'Duke' are straight to reflexed. The calyx basin of the fruit of 'Huron is smaller in diameter than the calyx basin of the fruit of 'Duke'.

Description:

PLANT: medium to strong vigour, broad upright to spreading growth habit, fruiting on one-year-old shoots only

SHOOT/STEM: green, red lenticels

LEAF: medium length to width ratio, elliptic shape, dark green upper side, finely serrate margin

FLOWERING: begins mid to late in spring
FLOWER BUD: absent to weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration
COROLLA: urceolate shape, medium size, absent or very weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration
COROLLA TUBE: strong degree of ridges

BERRY RIPENING: begins early
BERRY CLUSTER: dense
BERRY: large, oblate shape in longitudinal section, shallow calyx basin, firm, medium to high sweetness by taste, low to medium acidity by taste
BERRY SEPALS: semi-erect attitude, incurving to straight curvature
BERRY SKIN: light green when unripe, medium to strong degree of bloom, dark blue with bloom removed

Origin & Breeding History: 'Huron' (experimental designation 'MSU-47') was developed from the Michigan State University breeding program. It originated from a controlled cross conducted in 1991 between a selection designated 'MSU-6566', as the female parent, and a selection designated 'G-344', as the male parent. The resulting seeds were germinated, grown in a greenhouse for 1 year and then field planted at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center, in Benton Harbor, Michigan. 'Huron' was selected from a group of 87 siblings in 1997 for the time of ripening, market quality, long storage life, firmness and flavour of its fruit.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trial for 'Huron' was conducted as an irrigated field trial from 2013 to 2017 at BioFlora Inc. in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial included 8 shrubs each of the candidate and reference varieties. The plants originated from one-year-old bare rooted plants that were planted into 4.4 litre containers in the spring of 2013 and then transplanted to the field on October 2, 2013. The plants were grown in rows with 1 metre spacing between plants and 2 metres between rows. The observations and measurements were taken from 8 plants or 10 parts of 8 plants of the candidate and reference varieties on May 20, 2017, with the exception of the leaf and fruit characteristics which were observed on July 15, 2017. All colour determinations were made using the 2007 Royal Horticulture Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'Huron' with reference varieties 'Bluecrop' and 'Duke'

Length of internode of one-year-old shoot (cm)

Inflorescence length (excluding peduncle) (cm)

Diameter of calyx basin of fruit (mm)

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Blueberry: 'Huron' (left) with reference varieties 'Bluecrop' (centre) and 'Duke' (right)

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Blueberry: 'Huron' (left) with reference varieties 'Bluecrop' (centre) and 'Duke' (right)

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Blueberry: 'Huron' (left) with reference varieties 'Bluecrop' (centre) and 'Duke' (right)